Chapter Text
Slurp!
Pigsy snarled, his patience wearing thin.
"I gotta hand it to ya Piglet! Your noodles are SO good!" Wukong said between bites.
"It's Pigsy," Pigsy grunted. "And they're good 'cause I made 'em!"
"Or...maybe Wukong is just a glutton and loves to eat anything," Macaque chimed in.
That got a laugh from Mei.
"It's too early for this. Can you guys not start?" Tang interjected, his voice tinged with amusement.
"Yeah! This is supposed to be a congrats for surviving the end of the world party!" MK added.
Wukong ignored them and turned to his moon. "It's like you WANT me to punch you."
"Guys, please calm down!" Sandy urged.
Wukong grumbled under his breath.
'Stupid Macaque.'
He slumped.
It had been a tough few weeks, Wukong thought as he stared at his plate.
His kid suggested that they should all participate in weekly gatherings to cool down after the whole end-of-the-world situation.
They all seem to be in peace.
But.
Despite the peaceful atmosphere, there's a twisted part of him that secretly craved chaos, longing for something to distract him from the thoughts that had consumed him ever since he was trapped in the scroll.
He couldn't help but be selfish, hoping that their peace would be shattered for his own personal gain.
He was weak to the memory of his cowardness, of being forced to relive every single one of his mistake. It continued to haunt him.
Adding more salt to the wound, the humiliation of being seen in such a vulnerable state by Macaque in the scroll gnawed at his pride, leaving him feeling insecure and uncertain.
He stole a glance at Macaque, their eyes meeting briefly before they both quickly averted their gazes, their expressions guarded as they put back their facades.
Wukong knew he shouldn't care about what the dark-furred monkey thought of him. He was the Monkey King after all.
Boom!
Suddenly, the peace of their gathering was shattered by the sound of chaos outside. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the distant cries of panic echoed through the streets.
Wukong grinned. 'Finally!'
The rest of the group exchanged worried glances before rushing out to face the source of the disturbance.
They emerged onto the panicked street, their eyes widening in shock at the scene unfolding before them. A demon was causing havoc and attempting to devour innocent bystanders.
MK's muscles tensed as he prepared to lunge at the demon.
"Here..comes...monkie-" MK began. But before he could unleash his attack, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, halting him in his tracks.
"Huh?"
"It's just a small-time bad guy. Let me handle this one bud," Wukong declared with a confident grin, patting MK on the back before leaping into action. He's happy that theres a distraction so he can let out some steam.
"Oh, uh, okay," MK mumbled, scratching his neck nervously.
"Monkey man seems really eager!" Mei observed with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Be careful, Mr. King!" Sandy called out, his deep voice filled with concern.
"Gah, that impulsiveness is so irritating," Pigsy grumbled under his breath, shaking his head in disapproval.
"That is his legacy after all," Tang replied.
Amidst the chatter of the group, Macaque's ears suddenly fluttered. Odd. Stepping back from the rest of the group, he closed his eyes, focusing on the strange sensation he felt.
He heightened his senses.
His ears continued to twitch.
Macaque took it as a sign and began to listen in to the future. He wasn't going to let another disaster happen once more. Not when he has the power to prevent it.
The distant screams of worry reached his ears, causing a chill to run down his spine.
Macaque returned to the group, his expression grave as he gulped nervously. He realized they needed to end this as quickly as possible. He silently sunk into his shadows.
Wukong landed squarely in front of the villain with a resounding thud.
"You want to die as well?" the villain taunted.
"Just try to kill me. Everyone should know by now it's impossible," Wukong retorted.
The Monkey King striked with a swift punch straight to the nose and sent the weakling flying.
Macaque emerged from the shadows, standing by his side, and wrapped the weak demon in shadow tendrils.
"Ugh, did you come to steal my spotlight?"
"Nah, I prefer to lurk in the shadows, where I can be mischievous and do some scheming," Macaque replied with a smirk. "I have him trapped. Just do your thing and send him flying off already. Slowpoke."
"Hah! Watch me," Wukong shot back.
The monkey lunged at the villain.
The villain's eyes widened in fear, sensing the threat posed by Wukong and Macaque.
"Shit, don't come any closer!" the villain warned, his voice laced with desperation.
Right as Wukong's fist was mere centimeters from his face, the villain unleashed a dark power that crackled through the air.
Invisible threads of energy that connected directly to the souls of the two monkeys began to flow out.
Wukong and Macaque felt the shockwave of energy ripple through them, causing them to stagger and collapse under the overwhelming force.
"Monkey King!" MK screamed out, his voice filled with panic and concern.
"Stay back," Macaque gritted out through clenched teeth, his body wracked with pain as he struggled to resist the dark energy coursing through him.
"Ggh..W-What is this? It feels weird..." Wukong mumbled, his eyes flickering from their usual red hue to his gold vision. He winced up at the demon.
"We can't just stand here. Let's go!" Mei's eyes turned green.
"Right!" MK pulled out his staff.
Mei immediately summoned her powers, and alongside MK, they charged at the villain.
The villain shakily raised his hand, his voice dripping with malice as he pointed it in the direction of the two monkeys. "I'll at least get this small victory. I'll make sure you never forget me for the rest of your lives."
The demons hand clenched.
Before any of them could react, Wukong and Macaque's soul threads intertwined, binding the threads together in a tight knot that pulsed with a dark energy. The duo cried out in shock, their bodies shaking in agony.
MK and Mei launched a powerful joint attack at the villain, their combined strength overwhelming him. The villain exploded into dust with a deafening scream, vanishing in a cloud of darkness.
Heavy panting was all they heard for a split moment.
The dust settled.
The group turned their attention to Wukong and Macaque, who began to cry out in agony, their bodies wracked with pain from the dark energy that coursed through them.
The rest of the group watched in horror.
"GUYS!"
Weird. MK's voice sounded distant to the golden monkey.
MK sprinted towards Monkey King, who lay closest to him. He signaled for Mei to tend to Macaque, who was a few feet away.
The rest of the group rushed to join them, their expressions a mix of anger and concern.
"What the hell was that?" Pigsy demanded, his voice tinged with frustration and worry.
"Are you guys okay?" Sandy asked, his voice filled with genuine concern for his friends.
Macaque tried to regulate his breathing, but each inhale and exhale only intensified the pain, causing him to let out a gut-wrenching scream that echoed through the air.
Wukong felt a wave of fear wash over him. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It was just supposed to be a simple battle against a villain, nothing more. The aftermath was never meant to be like this.
Gripping onto MK for support, he activated his gold vision.
Through his enhanced vision, Wukong saw a strange thread extending from his soul, intertwined and stretched thin, connecting him to Macaque. He attempted to break free from MK's grasp and stand on his own, but the pain proved too much, causing him to stumble and fall to his knees.
"M-MK.. get me closer to him," Wukong managed to utter, his voice strained with agony as he struggled to communicate.
MK, though puzzled by his request, nodded in understanding and gently lifted Wukong, carrying him over to the group in a bridal style. He was careful not to move the injured Monkey King too much.
The moment they reached Macaque's proximity, a sense of relief washed over them. The pain that had tormented both monkeys began to ease.
Macaque, now overwhelmed, collapsed into Mei's arms, gasping for air as he tried to steady himself.
Wukong's grip on MK's shoulders weakened, and he slumped, his eyes fluttering as he struggled to remain conscious. He gathered his strength and looked up at his kid.
"Thanks, bud. That was a close call," he expressed, his voice still trembling from the ordeal.
MK patted Monkey King on the back as he lay him down, relief evident in his features.
"No problem Monkey King. I'm so glad you're okay," he said with a smile.
Mei gently knelt down to check Macaque. "Hey shadow monkey man, can you hear me? What happened out there?" she inquired softly, trying to assess his condition.
Macaque struggled to focus, his voice barely audible as he spoke. "I... I don't know. It felt like something was tearing me apart from the inside," he managed to utter.
The rest of the group hovered nearby, their brows furrowed in confusion and worry. "What kind of power was that? And why target Wukong and Macaque specifically?" Tang pondered aloud, his frustration evident in his tone.
MK furrowed his brow. "I'm... not sure. It looked really painful."
Sandy placed a comforting hand on MK's shoulder. "We'll figure it out. We always do," he reassured with a soothing tone.
A sense of unease lingered in the air, casting a shadow over the group.
"Let's take them back to Flower Fruit Mountain," MK suggested.
Macaque wanted to protest, but his weakened state left him unable to voice his concerns. He didn't want to go anywhere near his old home.
Wukong, on the other hand, longed to retreat to his hut and rest, the pain having drained him more than he expected.
With a nod of agreement, he succumbed to exhaustion, falling into a deep sleep.